Advice Column: Do Business Schools Care About Demonstrated Interest?

Hello P&Q readers, and welcome to my advice column! My name is Karen Marks, and I am the Founder and President of North Star Admissions Consulting. I have been helping people get into their dream schools since 2012, and prior to that I was the Associate Director of Admissions at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Today, my goal is to give applicants the accurate, insider information that they need in order to succeed. Want your question answered in a future column? Ask away, no topic is off limits!

So, I have recently been asked whether or not business schools care about demonstrated interest. The short answer is that yes, many MBA programs do in fact care about demonstrated interest. Here is what you need to know:

• What is demonstrated interest?

Demonstrated interest is a concept that you might remember from your college application days. Basically, the idea is that some schools pay attention to whether or not you interact with them during the application process, and reward those who do so.

• Why do schools care about this?

There are a couple of reasons why schools care about demonstrated interest, including the fact that they want to know that you understand the culture. The most basic reason, however, is yield protection – the data shows that candidates who have attended multiple events, come to campus, etc., are more likely to accept offers of admission. Yield is a component of the business school rankings, so MBA programs want to maximize their ability to admit applicants who want to come. 

• How do they track it?

Business schools have sophisticated CRM systems, and can monitor how much and when you interact with the application and website, as well as whether or not you have attended events. Some schools also ask explicitly, as part of the application process, how you have connected with the program. 

• What can you do to move the needle?

The simplest first step is to get on email lists at your schools of interest, and be sure to open the emails and click on links. If you are able to go to campus for an official visit or conference, definitely consider doing so. If not, look for opportunities to meet alums and admissions officers in your city – there are many events this time of year, around the globe. There are also virtual information sessions and other events, which are still useful.

• What about business schools that claim not to track demonstrated interest?

Don’t believe it! They all care! I kid, to some extent – but even schools that aren’t keeping track of every website click want to admit students who are informed and excited about their programs. Also, admissions officers and student/alumni interviewers are people who love their schools. They are more likely to be swayed by essays and interview responses that show genuine enthusiasm and understanding – which is MUCH easier to do when your knowledge comes from a recent visit, not reddit. 

The bottom line is that getting to know the schools you are applying to strengthens your application. In addition to showing demonstrated interest, which is valued by many admissions committees, enhanced knowledge leads to stronger essays and interview responses. Business school admissions is a super competitive process, and this year is shaping up to be especially tough. Why leave any advantage on the table?

Karen has more than 15 years of experience evaluating candidates for admission to Dartmouth College and to the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Since founding North Star Admissions Consulting in 2012, she has helped applicants gain admission to the nation’s top schools, including Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Wharton, MIT, Tuck, Columbia, Kellogg, Booth, Haas, Duke, Johnson, Ross, NYU, UNC, UCLA, Georgetown and more. Clients have been awarded more than $90 million dollars in scholarships, and more than 98% have gotten into one of their top choice schools.

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